Lhasa Dining

Lhasa Kitchen

Restaurants in Lhasa serve the best food and accommodation in Tibet. The food includes Tibetan cuisine, Sichuan cuisine and western style dishes. Some hotel restaurants even provide Nepalese and Indian dishes. It's worth noting that Sichuan dishes here are more expensive than in other parts of China. Tourist restaurants also serve delicacies and almost every hotel has western dishes. Most of the restaurants can be found clustered around the Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street, the center of Lhasa City, so that travelers can find places to eat and drink within easy reach.

Where to Dine

Tibetan Restaurants

Crazy Yak Saloon lies next door to Kirey Hotel on Beijing East Road. It has uniquely Tibetan decor and furnishings. Tibetan dish has a good reputation here and the yak meat comes recommended. The other highlight is the local song and dance show from 19:30 to 20:30 every evening.

Crazy Yak Saloon

Ethnic Restaurant lies opposite the Kirey Hotel, on East Beijing Road, and it is one of the largest Tibetan restaurants in Lhasa. It serves aweto chicken and aweto beef as well as some common dishes.

Snow-Deity Palace Tibetan Style Restaurant is located just west of the Potala Palace Plaza. It is one of the only slap-up Tibetan Style restaurants in Lhasa. There is authentic Tibetan dishes on offer such as freshly fried mutton chops and Tibetan steamed stuffed buns.

Snowland Restaurant next to Snowland Hotel on Mentsikhang Road has a range of western, Tibetan and Nepalese food. Its Nepalese food and pizza are delicious. The price is moderate when compared with the excellent quality of the food.

Tashi, close to Penthoc Guesthouse and Tashi 2 in the Kirey Hotel is a favorite of many visitors. It is clean, quiet and the staffs speak good English. They offer featured local dishes including momos, tsampa, thukpa and fried yak meat as well as spaghetti, mashed potatoes and fries.

Tibetan Cafeteria is located west of Middle Beijing Road. It offers local dishes such as fried mutton chops, radish stew, yak meat and potato buns.

Others

A dish from Namaste Restaurant

Aloo Gang is located on Duosengge Road. It serves veggie food, yak butter tea and soup.

Barkhor Cafe has various drinks and foods and a few PCs with internet access are available. Its rooftop terrace is popular among visitors since you can enjoy drinks watching the sunset over the Jokhang Temple.

Curried Potato Restaurant is located at the first crossing on the right of Jokhang Temple and offers delicious but cheap food such as curried potato, curried barbecue and yogurt.

Hard Yak Cafe in Lhasa Hotel has a range of expensive western food and a good ambience. Lhasa Hotel also has a fast food stall on Mentsikhang Road serving hamburgers and fried potatoes.

Kailash Restaurant on the rooftop of Banak Shol Hotel on Beijing East Road is also a great place to dine. With pleasant and friendly service, it serves dishes including a nice breakfast, yak burgers and many vegetarian options too.

Makye Ame on the southeastern corner of Barkhor Street is often busy with western visitors. It serves tasty dishes with pasta and pesto and makes good coffee. A few computer terminals make emails possible too.

Xinfeng is located at the East Beijing Road provides all kinds of European dishes, especially the grilled burgers.

Aside from the above-mentioned restaurants, the night market on Duosenge Road is an interesting place where you can get street food and drink at very reasonable prices.